Transfer applying machine



Oct. 2, 1951 HARR|$ 2,569,631

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1946 4 Sheets- Sheet 1 Oct. 2, 1951 HARR|$ 2,569,631

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/GZ.

Oct. 2, 1951 T. HARRIS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Get. 2, 1951 T.HARRE TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE Filed Dec. 5, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 of a small rectangle of paper.

Patented Oct. 2, 1951 TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE Thomas Harris, Birstall, near Leicester, England, ass'ignor to N. Corah & Sons Limited, Leicester,

England Application December 5, 1946, Serial No. 714,160 In Great Britain November 29, 1944 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires November 29, 1964 11 Claims.

It is customary in the hosiery trade and other branches of the clothing trade to affix certain data to garments by means of transfers requiring the application of heat. Although proposals have been made for power-driven and for hand-operated machines for applying transfers to garments, this operation, as commonly practiced, is entirely manual and is somewhat laborious. Individual transfers are employed, each consisting The operator takes'a pile of garments, places a transfer on the top one, holds'a hot iron on it for the required period, removes the used transfer paper, places the treated garment on one side, and proceeds with the next garment. At the present juncture, owing to the necessity for applying to garments various marks stipulated by the Board of Trade, a considerable volume of transfer work has to be carried out, and an object of the present inventhe table and means for heating it, mechanism including a resiliently-yielding drive device, for

producing a succession of vertical approach strokes as between table and iron and for thereby causing the latter to press intermittently on the top of the pile with a resilient pressure irrespective of the height of the pile, and means for feeding a continuous strip of transfer-carrying material step by step, beneath the iron and above the top article, in timed relation with the approach strokes in such manner that transfers ar presented in succession to be pressed resiliently by the hot iron on the top article for the time being, said top article being removed after each transferapplying stroke to expose the article below it. It will be appreciated that as the articles are marked and removed from the top of the pile one by one, the pile diminishes in height, but the provision of the yielding drive device permits the machine to accommodate itself to this. The iron, on the table, may be movable up and down, but certain advantages accrue if the table is movable and the iron is stationary. It will be appreciated that if a clear and unsmudged transfer impression is to be obtained on the top article of the pile, no relative sideways movement should take place between the iron, transfer strip, and article at the moment of pressure. Were the iron .movable, and were the transfer strip fed in a t 2 fixed plane above the pile, as the latter diminishes a gap would open between said plane of feed and the top article with the result that the descending iron would force the transfer strip downwards out of said plane; since this displacement of the stripwould involve either a slight drawoiffrom the strip supply or a slight-draw-back of the already used strip, it would be accompanied by movement of the strip across the face of the iron and across the top article with the consequent risk of a blurred impression. Conversely the provision of guides, moving up and down with the iron, so that the strip is fed closely across the face of the moving iron in an invariable space relation to said face, would involve undue complexity in the strip feeding arrangements. Onthe other hand, if the iron is stationary and the table moves, the feeding arrangements for feeding the strip in a fixed plane closely beneath the stationary iron are simple and the risk of undesirable sideways movement at the moment of pressure is obviated or minimised.

According to an important subsidiary feature of the invention, the machine incorporates mechanism producing strokes of constant amplitude and has the aforesaid yielding drive device interposed between said mechanism and the table (or the iron, as the case may be) The foregoing, and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims, are incorporated in the machine which will now be described as an example with referenc to the accompanying drawings in which: v

Figure 1 is a perspective view looking from the front of the machine;

Figure 2 is a perspective view looking'from the side;

Figure 3 is a perspective view looking fromthe rear thereof;

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the machine;

Figure 5 is a, view of a detail, on a larger scale.

Figure 6 is a side elevation, partly in section and on a larger scale, showing the strip-feeding device;

Figure '7 is a longitudinal section through that device;

Figure 8 shows the motor switch and brake controlled by a foot pedal;

Figure 9 is a front perspective view of a modified machine.

This machine is driven by a variable-speed electric motor i which forms part of it and is mounted in the lower part of the machine frame 2, being provided with a speed control 3 and being coupled to a horizontal main shaft 4 through worm and worm wheel gearing 5. At the front of the frame, an electric iron 6 is positioned, means preferably being provided for adjusting it vertically and horizontally. Below the iron, there is a work table i which is reciprocated vertically by mechanism driven by the main shaft 4. Conveniently, this mechanism comprises a vertically-guided pillar 8 supporting the table and carrying at its lower end a truck or roller 8 engaging a cam 9, on said shaft 4, this cam being so shaped as to hold the table in its upper position for a period sufficient to permit the hot iron to do its Work on the transfer. The shaft 4 constitutes a continuously rotatable power-driven actuator, the truck or roller 8 con stitutes a driven member, and the cam 9 constitutes a mechanism for converting the rotation of the actuator into a succession of to-and-fro movements, of constant amplitude of the driven member.

The cam 9 imparts strokes of constant amplitude to the lower end of the pillar 8, but the pillar itself constitutes a resiliently-yielding drive; device. It is telescopic and is springloaded towards its extended position so that irrespective of the thickness of a pile of garments onthe table, the top garment will always be pressed against the transfer strip Ill and the iron 6,, the pillar 8 is capable of yielding to an extent equal to; the; stroke; imparted to the truck or roller-bythe cam. This mechanism is best shown in, Figure 4.

In the upper part of the machine, there is provided a mounting H for a roll, lZgof transfer strip having transfers spaced along its length. The strip [it is conducted over suitably-disposed guides so as to pass down. in front of the iron 6, rearwards beneath it (being there interposed between the iron and the table), and thence to a winding-on, device 13- by' which the used strip is accumulated. Strip-feeding mechanism is provided for feeding the strip step-by-step so that a fresh transfer is located below the iron for each upward stroke of the table. This mechanism is adjustable, to adjust the length of each step so that successively-presented transfers register correctly with the sole of the iron. Conveniently, this mechanism comprises a feed roller M which is driven step-by-step. by a device l which transforms oscillating motion of variable length into rotary motion. This device is in the nature of a pawl and ratchet mechanism, and it is preferred to employ that variety thereof in which the drive is transmitted by the wedging engagement of at least onev smooth member such for example as a roller or ball with a smooth surface because this variety has the advantage that extent of each rotary movement is infinitely variable as contrasted with a mechanism incorporating a toothed ratchet wherein the variation can only be effected in stages equivalent to the pitch of the ratchet teeth. The device l5 incorporates and is driven by a crank lever 16 of variable throw which is oscillated from a variable-throw crank I! on the main shaft 4 through a connecting rod, IS. The variablethrow'crank I! is intended to provide a comparatively coarse adjustment for the feed (by adjusting the amplitude of oscillation) while a fine adjustment is provided by the variable-throw 1ever It details of which are shown in Figs. 5 and 6. It will be seen that the pivot pin I9 by which the rod I8 is connected to said lever I6 is adjustable towards and away from the axis, along a slot2fl, by a screw 2 i. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the device I5 is in essence a free-wheel or pawl and ratchet mechanism. The lever l6 has a boss 26, provided with, flats. 21. Between each flat 2? and the smooth interior periphery of a housing 28 connected to feed roller [4 there is a. ball or roller 29 pressed in the wedging direction by a spring 30.

The device 15 further includes a check mechanism of the variety described above which is arranged in reverse manner to prevent reverse rotation of the roller l4 said mechanism freewheeling on the driving stroke (the up-stroke) of lever US but tending to lock the roller to a stationary part of the mounting 25 should the roller exhibit any tendency to reverse rotation during the return stroke. This check mechanism is shown in Fig. '7 wherein those parts that are the equivalent of parts in the drive mechanism have primed reference numbers viz: boss 26", ball or roller 29 and housing 28'.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the winding-on device la is driven frictionally from the main shaft 4, through belts 22 and 22a, insuch manner that the drive slips when all slack in the used strip has been taken up. Belt 22 drives to a countershaft 3i and belt 22a drives from the latter to device [3.

The electric, motor I is provided with a foot and/or knee operate-d start-and-stop switch, and a foot and/or knee operated control for a fricticn brake 2.3. In the example illustrated in Fig. 8, the motor switch 32 and brake 23: are controlled by foot lever 24, depression of which serves to start the motor and to release the brake. When the lever is allowed to rise, the switch is operated to stop the motor and the brake is applied.

The mode of operation of the machine. is as fol-lows: The operator places a pile of garments on the lowered table 1, and starts the motor I. The table 1 rises, and holds the top garment against the transfer and the hot iron 6; it then sinks, the operator removes the top garment and the transfer strip I-D traverses to present a fresh transfer ready for the next upward stroke of the table. If desired, instead of the motor being a variable-speed motor, a friction clutch may be provided tope-rmit the operator to regulate the machine speed (to run it slowly while learning its operation); any other speed regulator may be provided if desired.

A counter may be provided for recording automatically the number of garments dealt with.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 9, the table T is supported on two spring loaded telescopic-pillars 8" having the general construction shown in. Fig; 4, connected by connecting rods, 33 to adjustable throw cranks 34 on a cross shaft 35 driven from motor I through gearbox 5 and gearing 36.

I claim:

1. A motor-driven machine for applying a transfer to the top article of a pile of articles, comprising. in combination, a stationary frame; a stationary iron arranged in said stationary frame; m ans for heating said stationary iron; a movable table arranged in said stationary frame below said stationary iron, said movable table for supporting a pile of articles being vertically reciprocable with respect to said stationary iron; a drive mechanism arranged in said stationary frame and including a driven member having a constant amplitude; a drive device interposed between said driven member and said recipro- "cable table and including resilient means adapting the stroke of said reciprocable table with respect to said stationary iron to the height of the pile; means arranged in said stationary frame for feeding a continuous strip of transfercarrying material step-by-step across the top of the pile; and guiding means arranged at a level immediately below said stationary iron for guiding the strip beneath said stationary iron.

2. A motor-driven machine for applying a transfer to the top article of a pile of articles, comprising in combination, a stationary frame; a stationary iron rigidly connected to said stationary frame; means for heating said stationary iron; a movable table arranged in said stationary frame below said stationary iron, said movable table for supporting a pile of articles being vertically reciprocable with respect to said stationary iron; a drive mechanism arranged in said stationary frame and including a driven member having a constant amplitude; a drive device interposed between said driven member and said reciprocable table and including resilient means connected to said reciprocable table and adapting the stroke of said reciprocable table with respect to said stationary iron to the height of the pile; means arranged in said stationary frame for feeding a continuous strip of transfercarrying material step-by-step across the top of the pile; and guiding means arranged at a level immediately below said stationary iron for guiding the strip beneath said stationary iron.

3. A motor-driven machine for applying a transfer to the top article of a pile of articles, comprising in combination, a stationary frame; a stationary iron arranged in said stationary frame; means for heating said stationary iron; a movable table for supporting a pile of articles arranged in said stationary frame below said stationary iron, said movable table being vertically reciprocable with respect to said stationary iron; a drive mechanism arranged in said stationary frame and including a driven member having a constant amplitude; a drive device interposed between said driven member and said reciprocable table and including resilient means adapting the stroke of said reciprocable table with respect to said stationary iron to the height of the pile; means arranged in said stationary frame at a fixed level thereof for mounting a supply of a continuous strip of transfer-carrying material; and meansarranged in said stationary frame for feeding the strip from said mounting means step-by-step across the top of the pile; and guiding means arranged at a level tionary iron; a drive mechanism arranged in said stationary frame and including a driven member having a constant amplitude; a drive device interposed between said driven member and said reciprocable table and including resilient means connected to said reciprocable table and adapt- 'ing the stroke of said reciprocable table with respect to said stationary iron to the height of the pile; means arranged in said stationary frame at a fixed level thereof for mounting a supply of a continuous strip of transfer-carrying material; and means arranged in said stationary frame for feeding the strip from said mounting means step-by-step across the top of the pile; and guiding means arranged at a level immediately below said stationary iron for guiding the strip beneath said stationary iron.

5. A motor-driven machine for applying a transfer to the top article of a pile of articles, comprising in combination, a stationary frame; a stationary iron arranged in said stationary frame; means for heating said stationary iron; a movable table for supporting a pile of articles arranged in said stationary frame below said stationary iron,-said movable table being vertically reciprocable with respect to said stationary iron; a continuously rotatable power-driven actuator; a driven member; a mechanism for converting the rotation of said actuator into a succession of to-and-fro movements of constant amplitude of said driven member; a drive device interposed between said driven member and said reciprocable table and including resilient means adapting the stroke of said reciprocable table with respect to said stationary iron to the height of the pile; means arranged in said stationary frame for feeding a continuous strip of transfer-carrying material step-by-step across the top of the pile; and guiding means arranged at a level immediately below said stationary iron for guiding the strip beneath said stationary iron.

6. A motor-driven machine for applying a transfer to the top article of a pile of articles, comprising in combination, a stationary frame; a stationary iron rigidly connected to said stationary frame; means for heating said stationary iron; a movable table for supporting a pile of articles arranged in said stationary frame below said stationary iron, said movable table being vertically reciprocable with respect to said stationary iron; a continuously rotatable powerdriven actuator; a driven member; a mechanism for converting the rotation of said actuator into a succession of to-and-fro movements of constant amplitude of said driven member; a drive device interposed between said driven member and said reciprocable table and including resilient means connected to said reciprocable table and adapting the stroke of said reciprocable table with respect to said stationary ironto the height of the pile; means arranged in said frame for feeding a continuous strip of transfer-carrying'rnaterial step-by-step across the top of the pile; and guiding means arranged at a level immediately below said stationary iron for guiding "the strip beneath said stationary iron.

7. A motor-driven machine for applying a transfer to the top article of a pile of articles,

f for converting the rotation of said actuator into a succession of to-and-fro movements of constant amplitude of said driven member; a drive device interposed between said driven member and said reciprocable table and including a resilient means connected to said reciprocable table and adapting the stroke of said reciprocable aseaeei table with respect" to said iron to the height of the pile; means arranged in. said frame at a fixed? level thereof formounting a supply of a continuous stripof transfer-carrying material; and means arranged in. said stationary frame for feeding the strip from said mounting means step-by-step across the top of the pile; and guiding means arranged at a level immediately below said stationary iron for guiding the strip beneath said stationary iron;

8. A motor-driven machine for applying a transfer to the top article of a pile of articles, comprising in combination, a stationary frame; a stationary iron arranged in said stationary frame; means for heating, said stationary iron; a movable: table for supporting a pile of articles arranged in said stationary frame below said stationary iron, said movable table being vertically reciprocable with respect to said stationary iron; a drive mechanism arranged in'said stationary frame and including a driven member having a constant amplitude; a drive device interposed between said driven member and said reciprocabletable and including resilient means adapting the stroke of said reciprocable table with respect to said stationary iron to the height of the pile; means arranged in said stationary frame at a fixed level thereof for mounting a supply of a. continuous strip of transfer-carrying material; means arranged in said stationary frame for feeding the strip from said mounting means step-by-step across the top of the pile; means for preventing said feeding means from moving in more than one direction; and guiding means arranged at a level immediately below said stationary iron for guiding the strip beneath; said stationary iron.

9. A" motor-driven machine for applying a transfer to the top article of a pile of articles, comprising in combination, a stationary frame;

a stationary iron arranged insaid stationary frame; means for heating said stationary iron;

.a movabletable for supporting a pile of articles arranged in said stationary frame below' said stationary iron, said movable table being vertically reciprocable with respect to said stationary iron; a drive mechanism arranged in said stationary frame and including a driven member having a constant amplitude; a drive device interposed between said driven member and said reciprocable table and including resilient means adapting the stroke of said reciprocable table with respect to said stationary iron to the height of. the pile; means arranged in said stationary frame at a fixed level thereof for mounting a supply of a continuous strip of transfer-carrying material; means arranged in said stationary frame for feeding the stripfrom said mounting means step-by-step across the top of the pile; adriverarranged in said stationary frame for oscillating motion; means for imparting an oscillation to said driver at each reciprocation of said reciprocable table; means for adjusting the amplitude of oscillation of said driver; a device for converting the oscillations of said driver into unidirectional step-by-step rotations of said feeding means, said converting device including a first member having a smooth cylindrical surface, a second member having a smooth surface, and at least one smooth round wedging member arranged between said surfaces for wedging said driver in one direction and for releasing the same upon movement in the reverse direction; and. guiding means arranged at a level immediately below said stationary iron for guiding the strip beneath said stationary iron.

' 10. A motor-driven machine for applying a transfer to the top article of a pile of articles, comprising in combination, a stationary frame; a stationary iron arranged in said stationary frame; means for heating said stationary iron; a movable table for supporting a pile of articles arranged in said stationary frame below said stationary iron, said movable table being vertically reciprocable with respect to said stationary iron; a continuously rotatable power-driven actuator; a driven member; a mechanism for converting the rotation of said." actuator into a succession of to-and-fro movements of constant amplitude of said driven member; a drive device interposed between said driven: member and said reciprocable table and including resilient means adapting the stroke of said reciprocable table with respect to said stationary iron to the height of the pile; means arranged in said stationary frame at a fixed level thereof for mounting a supply of a continuous strip of transfer-carrying material; means arranged in said stationary frame for feeding the strip from saidmounting means step-by-step across the top of the pile; a driver arranged in said frame for oscillating motion; means for imparting an oscillation. to said driver at each. reciprocation of said. reciprocable table; means for adjusting the amplitude of oscillation of saidv driver; a device for converting the oscillations of said driver into unidirectional step-by-step rotations of said feeding means, said converting device including a first member having a smooth cylindrical; surface, a second member having a smooth surface, and at least one smooth round, wedging member arranged between said surfaces for wedging said driver in one direction and for releasing the same upon movement in the reverse direction; and guiding means arranged at a level immediately below said stationary iron for guiding the strip beneath said stationary iron.

11. A motor-driven machine for. applying a transfer to the top article of a pile of articles, comprising in combination, a stationary frame; a stationary iron rigidly connected to said stationary frame; means for heating said stationary iron; amovable table for supporting a pile of articles. arranged in said stationary frame below said stationary iron, said movable table being vertically reciprocable with respect to said stationary iron; a continuously rotatable powerdriven actuator; a. driven member; a mechanism for converting the rotation ofsaid actuator into a succession of to-and-fro movements of constant amplitude of said driven member; a drive device interposed between said driven member and said table and including resilient means connected tosaid reciprocable table and adapting the stroke of said reciprocable table with respect to said stationary iron to the height of the pile; means arranged in said stationary frame at a fixed level thereof for mounting a supply of a continuous strip of transfer-carrying material, means arranged in said stationary frame for feeding the strip from said mounting means step-by-step across the top of the pile; a driver arranged in said stationary frame for oscillating motion; means for imparting an oscillation to said driver at each reciprocation of said reciprocable table; means for adjusting the amplitude of oscillation of said driver; a device for converting the oscillations of said driver into unidirectional. step-by-steprotations of said feeding means, said converting device including a first member having a smooth cylindrical surface, a second member having a smooth surface, and at least one smooth round wedging member arranged between said surfaces for wedging said driver in one direction and for releasing the same upon movement in the reverse direction; and guiding means arranged at a level immediately below said stationary iron for guiding the strip beneath said stationary iron.

THOMAS HARRIS.

REFERENCES CITED Number 10- UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Collins Nov. '7, 1911 Richardson Feb. 10, 1914 Spain Aug. 10, 1926 Fischer Jan. 21, 1941 Bowman et a1 June 16, 1942 Craig et a1. Dec. 1, 1942 Orswell Dec. 15, 1942 Newton Oct. 18, 1949 

